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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Sisu (2023) in Movies
Dec 4, 2023
Pretty Darned Entertaining
The BankofMarquis stumbled across a Finnish action flick that makes Quentin Tarantino Movies - and the John Wick films - look like Disney movies.
SISU tells the story of the waning days of WWII in Finland where a lone man has left the death and destruction of war behind to live a life of solitude. Into his world come some retreating NAZI’s who (to their detriment, they will soon find out) decide to NOT leave this lone man alone.
Chaos (and violence) ensues.
A variation of the “Man with No Name” type of action film that pits this lone person who just wants to be left alone against a group of thugs, SISU (a Finnish word that has no direct translation but roughly translates to “persevering against tremendous odds”) generates a fun action/revenge flick that is extremely violent…and extremely implausible (but that’s part of the fun).
While this is a Finnish film, all of the actors/characters speak English (except when the Nazi’s speak German), so there is no translating needed.
Jorma Tommila (a veteran Finnish actor that has no U.S. credits that I could find) is stoic, rugged and damned determined as the nameless loner (he gets named about half-way through the film) that perseveres and this is the best part of his performance. His sparkling blue eyes constantly seem active and alive even though the rest of his face is stoic and his body is bruised, bloodied, beaten and mud-covered. His internal resolve shines through in his eyes and really holds the film together well.
Aksel Hennie (who you might know as Alex Vogel one of the Astronauts that is in the ship that turns back to get Matt Damon aka THE MARTIAN) as the Head Nazi is quite good and just as determined to use his men as fodder in his vendetta against the nameless man while Jack Doolan (Horse Tommy in THE BOYS) is ruthless as his main henchman and Mimosa Willamo (the Finnish TV series DEADWIND) is strong and determined as a prisoner held by the Nazis.
Director Jalmari Helander (again, no U.S. credits that I can find) does a wonderful job of keeping the action moving and the choreography of the piece simple (you know where everyone is at all times, so when something comes out of nowhere, you have a pretty good idea as to who/what it is). He does ratchet the violence up to a Tarantino-John Wick- The Equalizer level, so if you are squeamish, this film is not for you.
But, if you are into action films, then…hoo-boy….is SISU a film for you!
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
SISU tells the story of the waning days of WWII in Finland where a lone man has left the death and destruction of war behind to live a life of solitude. Into his world come some retreating NAZI’s who (to their detriment, they will soon find out) decide to NOT leave this lone man alone.
Chaos (and violence) ensues.
A variation of the “Man with No Name” type of action film that pits this lone person who just wants to be left alone against a group of thugs, SISU (a Finnish word that has no direct translation but roughly translates to “persevering against tremendous odds”) generates a fun action/revenge flick that is extremely violent…and extremely implausible (but that’s part of the fun).
While this is a Finnish film, all of the actors/characters speak English (except when the Nazi’s speak German), so there is no translating needed.
Jorma Tommila (a veteran Finnish actor that has no U.S. credits that I could find) is stoic, rugged and damned determined as the nameless loner (he gets named about half-way through the film) that perseveres and this is the best part of his performance. His sparkling blue eyes constantly seem active and alive even though the rest of his face is stoic and his body is bruised, bloodied, beaten and mud-covered. His internal resolve shines through in his eyes and really holds the film together well.
Aksel Hennie (who you might know as Alex Vogel one of the Astronauts that is in the ship that turns back to get Matt Damon aka THE MARTIAN) as the Head Nazi is quite good and just as determined to use his men as fodder in his vendetta against the nameless man while Jack Doolan (Horse Tommy in THE BOYS) is ruthless as his main henchman and Mimosa Willamo (the Finnish TV series DEADWIND) is strong and determined as a prisoner held by the Nazis.
Director Jalmari Helander (again, no U.S. credits that I can find) does a wonderful job of keeping the action moving and the choreography of the piece simple (you know where everyone is at all times, so when something comes out of nowhere, you have a pretty good idea as to who/what it is). He does ratchet the violence up to a Tarantino-John Wick- The Equalizer level, so if you are squeamish, this film is not for you.
But, if you are into action films, then…hoo-boy….is SISU a film for you!
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Cori June (3033 KP) rated Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files (The Dresden Files, #12.5) in Books
Jan 16, 2019
multiple p.o.v (1 more)
see more side characters
It is fun seeing how the Dresden Files have evolved. This collection of shorts are fun and entertaining. Sometimes I think Jim Butcher is a little too excited about putting Harry in the thick of it. Most stories are laugh out loud and while they tell you which books each story is before or between you really should wait until.you finnish Changes before you read them. Beware the last story has sooooo many spoilers if you don't.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Viking Queen (1967) in Movies
Mar 1, 2018 (Updated Mar 2, 2018)
Wildly historically inaccurate, wholly absurd Hammer exploitation movie based on the events of the Iceni revolt led by Boudicca in 1st-century Britain. Roman governor (American) falls unconvincingly for Briton queen (Finnish); their imminent marriage promises to be bad for the business of the local merchants and their corrupt ally, a Roman general (Scottish), so a conflict is provoked, leading to rebellion...
Problems are mostly with the script, which appears to be only vaguely familiar with the concept of historical research, although a lot of the acting and staging is also pretty poor. Some usually reliable actors (Andrew Keir, Patrick Troughton) do the best they can with the material they're given. Probably best viewed as a high-camp piece of unintentional comedy. The widely-circulated story that one of the Roman actors can be seen wearing a wristwatch appears to be apocryphal.
Problems are mostly with the script, which appears to be only vaguely familiar with the concept of historical research, although a lot of the acting and staging is also pretty poor. Some usually reliable actors (Andrew Keir, Patrick Troughton) do the best they can with the material they're given. Probably best viewed as a high-camp piece of unintentional comedy. The widely-circulated story that one of the Roman actors can be seen wearing a wristwatch appears to be apocryphal.
Tyondai Braxton recommended Crepuscular Hour by Maja Ratkje in Music (curated)
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) in Movies
Dec 18, 2020
Rare Exports is a proper gem of an alternative Christmas film.
It revolves around a British company drilling into the mountain Korvatunturi in Lapland, hoping to find a legendary gravesite. A local child Pietari spies on proceedings, and is convinced that this company have found the grave of the original Santa Claus, not the jolly red and white icon that everyone is familiar with, but the proper monstrous version spoken about in fairtytales in Piertari's books. This being a child centric horror, of course no one believes him, until all the other children in the village start to go missing, and shit starts going sideways.
Rare Exports strengths lies in its strong cast. Greta performances from Onni Tommila and Jorma Tommila (father and son in both the film, and real life, just for that extra layer of believability!) The pair, alongside the supporting cast keep everything pretty grounded, despite the absurdity going on around them.
The film's dialogue is largely in Finnish, and this coupled with it's sparse and snowy setting, lend the narrative a truly otherworldly but authentic feeling.
It's also effectively creepy, especially the skinny old man "Santa" that the group capture and cage up. The need to figure out what is really going on never lets up either, even as the plot flies towards it's increasingly WTF climax (there's a silly amount of dong by the way, just FYI).
Rare Exports is certainly worth a watch. It's delightfully barmy, and is a great tonic if you become weary of "traditional" Christmas movies. 🎅
It revolves around a British company drilling into the mountain Korvatunturi in Lapland, hoping to find a legendary gravesite. A local child Pietari spies on proceedings, and is convinced that this company have found the grave of the original Santa Claus, not the jolly red and white icon that everyone is familiar with, but the proper monstrous version spoken about in fairtytales in Piertari's books. This being a child centric horror, of course no one believes him, until all the other children in the village start to go missing, and shit starts going sideways.
Rare Exports strengths lies in its strong cast. Greta performances from Onni Tommila and Jorma Tommila (father and son in both the film, and real life, just for that extra layer of believability!) The pair, alongside the supporting cast keep everything pretty grounded, despite the absurdity going on around them.
The film's dialogue is largely in Finnish, and this coupled with it's sparse and snowy setting, lend the narrative a truly otherworldly but authentic feeling.
It's also effectively creepy, especially the skinny old man "Santa" that the group capture and cage up. The need to figure out what is really going on never lets up either, even as the plot flies towards it's increasingly WTF climax (there's a silly amount of dong by the way, just FYI).
Rare Exports is certainly worth a watch. It's delightfully barmy, and is a great tonic if you become weary of "traditional" Christmas movies. 🎅
Merissa (11784 KP) rated The Silver Ones (The Silver Series, #1) in Books
Sep 20, 2022
A very different shifter story that stands out from the crowd.
THE SILVER ONES is the first book in The Silver Series and we learn about a world inhabited by shifters, hunters, vampires, witches, and the 'normal' folk. Except something has happened recently that means some of the normals have turned into Silvers. They have silver hair and their eyes changed colour. This marks them out from the crowd but no one knows why.
In Rem's village, the witches control everything. No one is taught how to read and write in case it gives them too many ideas. She is one of the newly changed Silvers and doesn't know what to do. The plans that were made were too late as Rem and her brother, Oliver, were kidnapped by shifters, and Rem was cursed by an Elder Witch. How will she protect her brother and break this curse?
I loved this story! It's a long one so I was able to fully immerse myself in it. I loved how the different factions were described, especially the shifters. I love that Finnish is their native language and the difficulties Rem has trying to learn it. As someone learning German, it was brilliant to read that she translated everything in her head first, instead of just being able to speak fluently within a couple of days!
Hold onto your hats though because it is Intrigue Central. There are so many twists and turns to hold your interest. Some are obvious, some are not; all are fantastic.
It is a slow burn for the majority of the story, with a steamy scene near the end. The connection between Ronan and Rem leaps off the pages though and I can't wait to see where their story takes them next.
A very different shifter story that stands out from the crowd. Highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
In Rem's village, the witches control everything. No one is taught how to read and write in case it gives them too many ideas. She is one of the newly changed Silvers and doesn't know what to do. The plans that were made were too late as Rem and her brother, Oliver, were kidnapped by shifters, and Rem was cursed by an Elder Witch. How will she protect her brother and break this curse?
I loved this story! It's a long one so I was able to fully immerse myself in it. I loved how the different factions were described, especially the shifters. I love that Finnish is their native language and the difficulties Rem has trying to learn it. As someone learning German, it was brilliant to read that she translated everything in her head first, instead of just being able to speak fluently within a couple of days!
Hold onto your hats though because it is Intrigue Central. There are so many twists and turns to hold your interest. Some are obvious, some are not; all are fantastic.
It is a slow burn for the majority of the story, with a steamy scene near the end. The connection between Ronan and Rem leaps off the pages though and I can't wait to see where their story takes them next.
A very different shifter story that stands out from the crowd. Highly recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jemma Walsh (81 KP) rated Gone Girl in Books
Aug 31, 2018
A good twist (1 more)
Characters and their backgrounds
Weak ending (1 more)
Slightly long winded
It was ok! I liked the twist.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Firstly I apologise for any spelling mistakes.
Luckily I borrowed this book, always lured in by “thriller of the year” but honestly if I had paid for the book I would feel more unsatified, maybe I like gory crime books more, always expeting the worst outcome in the worst way ...
Begins this book enjoying the where had Amy gone!? My wife is missing, thinking “ohhh where will she turn up?” With her side of the story about how things weren’t so great, nick hiding thing from the police being secretive.. the book clearly pinning what happened to Amy on the husband but that’s always to obvious... half way through this book I started to get bored, thinking when will something thrilling happen, that’s right this book has three parts!
I’m trying to work out what’s happen to Amy, maybe Go has done something? ( Go? What a strange way to spell it, made it hard for ready to for naturally, Brian is constantly debating go or Jo?) or maybe did nicks fatehr do something seeing as her a confused angry man.... oh man was I so far off!
Then I get the the second part and finally I feel somewhat satisfied! At last what a great twist to the story! Got me totally hooked when I was so close to calling it quits! How could she do that to nick! All them months of dedicated planning and Scheming, to see how all the pieces fell into place, realising how insane Amy was, and for her “logical reasoning”
Then you get to part three, and again it gets abit dull but your so far in you need to finnish it rather than quite so you keep checking how much more you have left to ready, come on!
The ending is just “so,so” they could have done so much more! The detective could have come across some evidence to show that desi had an alibi during the time Amy went “missing” I feel like tommy and Hillary should have gotten justice, and then the ending is just nothing they clearly live their lives together the end ? Just not closed up enough for my likings,
So my Rating Is low because for a thriller of the year and the addictive no1 is bestseller I had higher expectations and felt so disappointed and underwhelmed, over the story line is good and I enjoyed the characters, but not that thrilling
Luckily I borrowed this book, always lured in by “thriller of the year” but honestly if I had paid for the book I would feel more unsatified, maybe I like gory crime books more, always expeting the worst outcome in the worst way ...
Begins this book enjoying the where had Amy gone!? My wife is missing, thinking “ohhh where will she turn up?” With her side of the story about how things weren’t so great, nick hiding thing from the police being secretive.. the book clearly pinning what happened to Amy on the husband but that’s always to obvious... half way through this book I started to get bored, thinking when will something thrilling happen, that’s right this book has three parts!
I’m trying to work out what’s happen to Amy, maybe Go has done something? ( Go? What a strange way to spell it, made it hard for ready to for naturally, Brian is constantly debating go or Jo?) or maybe did nicks fatehr do something seeing as her a confused angry man.... oh man was I so far off!
Then I get the the second part and finally I feel somewhat satisfied! At last what a great twist to the story! Got me totally hooked when I was so close to calling it quits! How could she do that to nick! All them months of dedicated planning and Scheming, to see how all the pieces fell into place, realising how insane Amy was, and for her “logical reasoning”
Then you get to part three, and again it gets abit dull but your so far in you need to finnish it rather than quite so you keep checking how much more you have left to ready, come on!
The ending is just “so,so” they could have done so much more! The detective could have come across some evidence to show that desi had an alibi during the time Amy went “missing” I feel like tommy and Hillary should have gotten justice, and then the ending is just nothing they clearly live their lives together the end ? Just not closed up enough for my likings,
So my Rating Is low because for a thriller of the year and the addictive no1 is bestseller I had higher expectations and felt so disappointed and underwhelmed, over the story line is good and I enjoyed the characters, but not that thrilling